ELEMENTARY SCHOOL PARENT/TEACHER/STUDENT ORGANIZATION BYLAWS

Transcription

1 Page 1 ELEMENTARY SCHOOL PARENT/TEACHER/STUDENT ORGANIZATION BYLAWS Article I: Name The name of this Organization is the Elementary School Parent / Teacher / Student Organization (PTSO) of Gilbert, Arizona. Article II: Articles of Organization The articles of organization include: 1. The bylaws of such organization. 2. The articles of association. Article III: Objectives 1. The objectives of the Elementary School PTSO are developed through committees, projects, and programs, and are governed and qualified by the basic policies set forth in Article IV. 2. The objectives of the Elementary School PTSO are to: a) Provide school functions for the purpose of promoting fellowship among parents, students, and teachers. b) Provide funds for extra materials and programs in addition to what is provided by the district, as determined by the Organization. c) Assist in the Organization of a volunteer program as deemed beneficial to the students. Article IV: Basic Policies The following are basic policies of the Elementary School PTSO: 1. This Organization shall be non-commercial, non-sectarian, and non-partisan. 2. This Organization shall work with the school and administration to help provide quality education for all students, recognizing that the legal responsibility to make decisions has been delegated by the people to the Gilbert Governing Board, a.k.a., School Board. 3. This Organization shall work with the school administration, faculty, and students in an effort to:

2 Page 2 a) Provide quality experiences and activities for all members of Elementary School. b) Promote the welfare of the children attending Elementary School in home, school, and community. c) Maintain a well-informed membership regarding issues directly related to the school and community. d) Bring closer relationship between home and school so that parents and teachers may cooperate in the education of the students. 4. This organization shall not, directly or indirectly, participate or intervene any political campaign on behalf of or in opposition to any candidate for public office (including publishing or distributing statements). 5. This Organization may cooperate with other organizations and agencies concerning child welfare, but persons representing the Organization in such matters shall make no commitments that will bind the Organization. 6. The records of this Organization are open for public review. A PTSO Book of Record will be kept in the school office and made available upon request for public inspection. This notebook will contain: a) The original bylaws, revised bylaws, and amendments to bylaws. b) Articles of organization. c) Minutes of all meetings. d) Operating budget, approved revisions, and monthly financial reports. e) Current membership enrollment list of names. f) Articles of Incorporation. Article V: Membership in the available with the following terms: Membership and Dues Elementary School PTSO shall be made 1. All parents, teachers, and students of Elementary School, willing to uphold the policies and subscribe to these bylaws, shall be known as an enrolled member of this Organization upon: a) The payment or waiver of dues as determined by the Executive Board.

3 Page 3 b) Registration of name, address, and telephone number with the membership chairperson. 2. Membership in this Organization shall be made available without regard to race, color, creed, or national origin. 3. This Organization shall conduct an annual enrollment of members but may admit persons to membership at any time. The membership year shall be for July 1 st to June 30 th. 4. Member of the Organization shall pay annual dues as established by the incoming Executive Board. 5. Members must be enrolled at least 30 days prior to the election of officers in order to vote in the election. Information concerning this policy and the procedure for joining the Organization must be published and made available in the school office to all at least 30 days prior to an election. 6. Only enrolled adult members of this Organization shall be eligible to vote in the business meetings, election of officers, or to serve in any of its elective or appointive positions. 7. Each parent or guardian in joining family, if the Organization provides for family memberships, will be allowed voting privileges. Article VI: Officers and Their Election 1. Officers of this Organization will consist of elected offices of: a) President b) Vice-President c) Secretary d) Treasurer 2. Elective officers shall be elected by secret ballot at the election. In the event there is but one candidate for an office, the ballot for that office may be dispensed with and the election may be held by voice vote. 3. The term of an office shall be one year. The election shall be held in the spring and the newly elected officers shall assume office at the close of the last meeting in June. A candidate can be elected to the same office for no more than two consecutive years. After two consecutive terms, if no other person is willing to run for an office, the current officer may continue to serve for one additional year. 4. Any office, except Treasurer, may have co-officers that share the responsibility of the office. Co-nominees for the office are voted in as a team and will have one collective vote for all decisions voted upon by the Executive Board.

4 Page 4 5. If a vacancy occurs in the office or President, the first Vice President shall assume the office of the President. If a vacancy occurs in any other office, a person elected by a majority vote of the Executive Board shall fill it for the unexpired term, notice of such election being given. 6. There shall be a nominating committee composed of an uneven number, no less than three members, of which one member must be from the Executive Board. The Executive Board shall appoint the nominating committee two months prior to elections. The nominating committee shall ensure that: a) Only those members consenting to serve, if elected, shall be nominated. b) A nominating report is submitted to the membership prior to the elections. c) Following their report, nominations may be submitted from the floor with the consent of the nominee. d) Those nominated are enrolled members prior to the election. e) Information on all of the candidates is distributed without bias and/or endorsement (campaigning is not appropriate). 7. A member must appear in person to cast a vote. The Executive Board will determine the voting arrangement. Article VII: Duties of Officers 1. The President shall: a) Preside at all meetings of the Organization and the Executive Board. b) Be versed and communicate the articles of incorporation and bylaws to committee chairperson and the Executive Board. c) Coordinate the work of officers and committees of the Organization so that the objectives and policies may be promoted. d) Appoint the chairperson of standing committees. e) Be a member ex-officio of all committees, with the exception of the nominating committee. f) Be one of the Board members authorized to sign the checks of the Organization. g) Perform such other duties as may be assigned by the Organization.

5 Page 5 2. The Vice President shall: a) Act as an assistant to the President and perform the duties of the President in the absence or inability of that officer to act. b) Commit to the duties of President in the event the President vacates office for any reason. c) Gather monthly reports from the standing committees. d) Perform other delegated duties as assigned. e) Have the option of serving as committee chairman. 3. The Secretary shall: a) Keep an accurate record of the proceedings of all the meetings of the Organization. b) Distribute official minutes to each Executive Board member and others determined by the Executive Board. c) Maintain the PTSO Book of Record. d) Be prepared to refer to minutes of previous meetings. e) Conduct necessary correspondence for the Organization in cooperation with the Executive Board. f) Perform other delegated duties as assigned. g) Have the option of serving on a committee. 4. The Treasurer shall: a) Establish and/or maintain a checking account and other accounts as determined by the Executive Board. b) Have custody of all financial records and funds of the Organization. c) Verify and be responsible for, along with the event chairperson, all monies received, as counted by two committee members. Each shall keep an accurate account of all monies from the event. d) Keep a full and accurate account of receipts and disbursements as authorized by the President, Executive Board, or Organization as in accordance with the budget adopted by the Organization. e) See that checks or vouchers $ and over are properly signed by two persons (the Treasurer and the President).

6 Page 6 f) Prepare financial statement each month, with copies to be distributed to each Executive Board member and others determined by the Executive Board. g) Arrange an end-of-year audit with an auditing committee consisting of not fewer than three members who shall be appointed by the Executive Board. h) Make sure that at least $ is left in the treasury for the next school year. i) Shall have the option of serving on a committee. All officers shall perform the duties outlined in these bylaws and those assigned from time to time. Upon the expiration of the term of office or in case of resignation, each officer shall turn over to the President, without delay, all records, books, and other materials pertaining to the office and shall return to the Treasurer, without delay, all funds pertaining to the office. Article VIII: Executive Board 1. The Executive Board will consist of the officers of the Organization, the chairpersons of the standing committee, the Principal of the school, two faculty representatives, and one Student Council representative. 2. The President may appoint a parliamentarian, subject to the approval of the officers of the Organization. The parliamentarian shall not have any voting power. 3. The duties of the Executive Board shall be to: a) Transact necessary business in the interval between organizational meetings and such other business as may be referred to it by the Organization. b) Create special and standing committees. c) Approve the plans of the standing committees. d) Present a report at the regular meetings of the Organization. e) Select an auditor committee to audit the Treasurer s accounts. f) Prepare and approve a budget for the year. 4. The duties of the Principal are to:

7 Page 7 a) Provide council to the Executive Board regarding school or district policy. b) Raise issues affecting Elementary School faculty and student. 5. The duties of a teacher representative are to: a) Inform the staff and faculty of events and activities. b) Poll faculty as requested by the Executive Board and advises the Board according to the results. c) Act as a liaison between the PTSO and the Elementary School faculty. 6. The duties of a student representative are to: a) Inform the Student Council of events and activities. b) Poll the Student Council as requested by the Executive Board and advise the Board according to the results. c) Act as a liaison between the PTSO and the Elementary School Student Council. Article IX: Board Meetings 1. Board meetings shall be on a monthly basis at a time and place designated by the Board at the beginning of its term. Only Board members excluding the President (who votes only in the case of a tie) shall be entitled to vote at a Board meeting. 2. Additional meetings may be scheduled as needed by the President, Vice- President, or Principal with proper notification to all Board members. 3. Board voting shall be by show of hands or a voice vote unless any Board member requests a written ballot on an issue. 4. A simple majority shall decide any issue voted upon. In the event of a tie vote, the President shall be entitled to cast the deciding vote, or he may refer the issue to a general meeting. In the case of Co-Presidents still not resolving a tie, the issue will definitely go to a general meeting. In the event of Co- Presidents, each Co-President shall have one vote. In the event of a tie, a General Meeting WILL be called. 5. A quorum for the transaction of Organization business shall be 30% of the then current number of Board members.

8 Page 8 6. Any executive Board member who has been absent from two consecutive Board meetings without prior notice to the President, shall be considered resigned. Article X: General Meetings 1. General meetings of the membership will be held on the dates selected by the Executive Board. Special meetings may be called by 10% of the members. Meeting requests must be submitted in writing to the Secretary at least 72 hours in advance of the requested meeting. At least two general membership meetings shall be held on days established by the Executive Board. 2. Meetings shall be open to the public. 3. Members present shall constitute a quorum. A majority vote of members present shall be deemed adequate and acceptable to conducting or transacting business, provided that at least two separate notifications when home with the students, one within the past two weeks and the latter not to be sent the same day as the meeting. 4. The last meeting of the year in May shall be an annual meeting at which time reports shall be received and new officers shall be installed. Article XI: Committees 1. Standing and special committees shall be created as deemed necessary by the Executive Board. 2. A standing committee is one that will continue to exist from year to year. Each standing committee must have a written description of goals and responsibilities of the committee. This description can be amended to these bylaws according to Article XIII. 3. The chairperson of each committee shall be totally responsible for planning and initiating all the necessary requirements to fulfill the assigned purpose of the committee. 4. The chairperson shall report committee progress to the President and members of the Organization and shall submit a monthly report to the Vice President. Suggested Standing Committee Positions Ice Cream Social Chairman Festival Chairman Hospitality Chairman Campbell s Chairman Fry s Chairman Basha s Chairman Snow cone Sales Chairman Pumpkin Patch Chairman Membership Chairman Bylaws Chairman Public Relations Chairman Budget Chairman

9 Page 9 Fundraising Chairman Barbecue Chairman Fiesta Mall Chairman Audit Chairman Honey Baked Ham Chairman Article XII: Fiscal Year 1. The fiscal year of this association shall begin July 1 st and end June 30 th. The previous year s budget will stand until the first general meeting Article XIII: Amendments 1. The rules contained in the current edition of Robert s Rules of Order, Newly revised, shall govern Elementary School PTSO. 2. An amendment shall be proposed in writing to the President and shall be read at the first general meeting after the President receives the request. 3. When a revision in the bylaws is being considered, a committee may be appointed to submit a revised set of bylaws as a substitute for the existing bylaws by a majority vote at a meeting of the Organization, or by a two-thirds vote of the Executive Board. The requirements for adoption of a revised set of bylaws shall be the same as in the case of an amendment. 4. Notice of a vote on an amendment and information regarding the amendment must be given to the general membership at least ten days in advance of the general meeting at which the vote will be taken. 5. A copy of the proposed amendment or revised bylaws will be made available for public review in the school office during normal school hours. 6. Robert Rules of Order, Newly Revised, shall govern this organization in all cases in which they are applicable. Article XIV: Distribution of Resources 1. In the event of school attendance boundaries changes and the membership is divided, a fair and equitable amount of funds and resources may be divided among the schools. Fair and equitable distribution will be determined by the PTSO and should be based on the particular circumstances involved. Monies should be allocated by the end of the fiscal year. Article XVI: Miscellaneous Provisions 1. All members of this organization, Governing Board, and its committees are for the discussion of Organization business and parent members shall not use any of these meetings as a means of discussing the problems or progress of their children with members of the staff.